


And So It Goes

by maeveth



Series: The Billy Joel Sessions [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Music, Christophe is pole dancing his way through school because reasons, M/M, Otabek/Yuri is a blink-and-you-miss-it, Victor does ballroom because guys in tails are hot as hell, Yuuri plays piano because why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2017-01-02
Packaged: 2018-09-12 18:39:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9084922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maeveth/pseuds/maeveth
Summary: "Um, Victor...?  You're Victor Nikiforov, right?""That I am," Victor answered with a flourish of his right hand.  "And you, my friend, are my new accompanist."There was a beat of dead silence, followed by a shriek of pure surprise that Victor was quite sure would wake the dead.That had not precisely gone according to plan.





	1. Listen, boy, it's not automatically a certain guarantee

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, I know, I shouldn't write new fic when I have a final chapter that's been waiting TWO YEARS to be published but, well, YOI bit me in the ass and now I have to write about these beautiful people. 
> 
> Additional warnings include:
> 
> Copious overuse of Billy Joel songs  
> Potential brain-bending pairing choices  
> Technical music and ballroom dance gibberish
> 
> Please do enjoy.

To put it charitably, Victor was bored.

It was his senior year; he was supposed to be excited. There were so many things that were coming up, from the production of The Magic Flute that he was guaranteed a lead role in to his senior recitals to auditions for opera companies around the world (the Met was banging down his door, a fact that he continually gloated about, if only to himself), but...he was bored. He'd conquered the opera program. Hell, he'd conquered multiple opera programs if you counted all the solo competitions he'd won over the years, but what was there to do now? 

"And the worst part is there is literally nothing I can do to spice things up," he whined as he looked at his roommate. He and Chris had been rooming together since their freshman year; they knew just about everything there was to know about each other. Chris was easily his best friend. "No arias I can tackle, no new engrossing roles, nothing. What am I even supposed to do with myself this year?"

Chris chuckled as he sorted through his laundry. "You could always consider getting a job where I work."

Victor snorted at that one. "You're the one pole dancing and stripping his way through school. Have you forgotten when you tried to teach me how to do that?"

"Valid," Chris admitted. "I've never seen anyone as bad on a pole as you. And you're a dancer, too, so you don't even have that excuse."

"Ballroom is vastly different, thank you," Victor said with a sniff. "But anyway, that's neither here nor there and does nothing whatsoever to solve my problem."

Chris gestured at Victor with a pair of very small underwear. "You were the one who asked what you could do with yourself this year," he pointed out. "But beyond that, I honestly have no idea. Maybe you need to get out more. When was the last time you went on a date?"

A roll of crystal blue eyes greeted that statement. "You know damn well I haven't had a lick of time to date in years. This major is too demanding. But I guess I could stand to go to a couple of social events or some such."

"See, there you go," Chris answered with a smirk. "Put that legendary charm of yours to work. Who knows; you might find yourself surprised."

"Somehow I doubt that," Victor said dryly. "But we'll see. We shall see."

*****

It ended up being a royal waste of time.

Victor had peeled himself out of the practice rooms to go to a social for the theater department, and it was an unmitigated disaster. Granted, having people fling themselves at him was flattering in the extreme, but it was also annoying in the extreme. These people threw themselves at the persona he'd constructed for himself over his years on the stage. About the only person not falling all over themselves to get close to him was Georgi...and he knew way too much about Georgi's overly dramatic personal life so he was quite all right with that.

Eventually he managed to get himself away from the hordes, disappearing into the bowels of the building with a sigh. The practice rooms were on the second floor, underground, and a good place to escape to. Usually he used his vocal professor's office to practice, but sometimes it was occupied by another student so he came down here. He wasn't really looking to practice at the moment, though; he was looking for a little solitude and a place to hide until the social cleared out of the upper floor. It was late; the rooms should have been deserted.

He was quite surprised to hear a melody drifting through the air.

The music was coming from one of the most remote practice rooms; a beautiful piano melody that it took him a while to place. When he finally did, he whistled under his breath; pop and rock music were not exactly his strong suits, but he was very familiar with certain artists, and this particular tune required a deft touch that most people couldn't manage. He crept closer, ears stretched, waiting to hear more.

He got his wish a moment later when a voice joined the piano. Not a great voice. A good voice; true sense of pitch, but nothing that would warrant inclusion in the school's highly exclusive vocal performance program. That piano, though...it echoed through the hall, the melancholy of the song emphasized by the way the player stretched some notes and truncated others. He couldn't even figure out the time signature; it felt like it changed every measure, to suit the emotion the artist was trying to convey. He was very familiar with this particular tune, but not even the original was done with that kind of feeling and skill.

Sudden inspiration seized him.

He waited until the song was over, then banged on the door; he could practically hear the artist jumping about three feet in the air in reaction. Slowly the door opened, and he came face to face with the pianist for the first time.

Now that he could see who was playing, he was able to identify the face although he didn't have a name to go with it; he was a piano performance major, and Victor had seen him around the music wing in the past. Nothing particularly outstanding, really; messy black hair, glasses, pale skin...and, well, Victor would be lying right through his teeth if he said he wasn't instantly taken with the young man's big, beautiful brown eyes. Expressive eyes, an open book, and what was written in them at the moment was surprise, wariness...and eventually recognition and shock. "Um, Victor...? You're Victor Nikiforov, right?"

"That I am," Victor answered with a flourish of his right hand. "And you, my friend, are my new accompanist."

There was a beat of dead silence, followed by a shriek of pure surprise that Victor was quite sure would wake the dead.

That had not precisely gone according to plan.

*****

Once Victor managed to to calm the young man down, he finally coaxed a name out of him -- Yuuri Katsuki, a sophomore performance major come from Japan on a scholarship. Victor didn't know a lick of Japanese beyond 'sushi', but fortunately for him Yuuri's English was excellent so he wasn't left scrambling for Google to translate for him. 

"But...why do you want me as your accompanist?" Yuuri's eyes were wide and disbelieving, a blush tinting his cheeks. Victor found the blush incredibly charming.

"Being a proper accompanist requires a touch that you possess in spades," he answered, flicking a hand by way of illustration. "I want to partner with that talent. I promise you, together we'll reach the top." 

"I didn't make it to the top," Yuuri responded, looking down at his hands.

Victor tilted his head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?"

"All my life I've wanted to go to Juilliard," Yuuri explained, very quietly. "But I didn't get in. I came here because they accepted me and gave me a scholarship."

Victor leaned forward, expression gone incredibly intense. "I promise you this: by the time I'm done, you'll have Juilliard begging you to join them."

Yuuri's face was a study in skepticism. "Really."

"Yes, really," Victor insisted with a return of his broad smile. "By the end of this year, they'll be groveling at your feet."

Yuuri eyed him for a long, tense moment, before pushing his glasses up his nose and sighing. "I guess it can't hurt," he finally said. "It'll be good practice."

Victor clapped his hands together in glee, his whole face lighting up. "Wonderful! I'm so glad you see things my way. This, my friend, is the start of something beautiful."

Deep down inside, in the quietest part of his soul, he wondered if those big brown eyes knew just how beautiful it could be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Yuuri is playing is "And So It Goes", by Billy Joel. It's a beautiful track. Go look it up.
> 
> Title from "Tell Her About It", same artist.


	2. Nobody looked any finer or was more of a hit at the Parkway Diner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which socialization and realizations over pie occur.

Over the course of the next two months Victor learned a few things about his new accompanist.

Yuuri had a tendency to botch his competition performances and auditions due to nerves.

Yuuri practiced incessantly, to the point where his fingers would cramp up and either Victor or his roommate -- a Thai photography student with a bright smile and a disturbing love of all things Instagram -- had to drag him away from the piano by force.

Yuuri loved homestyle Japanese cooking and had found the only restaurant in town that even remotely approximated it, and was a regular.

Yuuri was the most gifted musician he'd ever met in his life.

It wasn't technical prowess, although Yuuri certainly had plenty of that. What made him brilliant was his unsurpassed musicality. No matter the piece, it took on a new life in his hands, a new level of emotion that the original composers could only dream of. 

"He's really sensitive," Yuuri's roommate, Phichit, told Victor one day as they sat around in the atrium waiting for Yuuri to get out of music theory class. "It doesn't show but he hates losing and he's the hardest person in the world on himself. He's not good at expressing that verbally, so it comes out in his music." 

Victor tapped his lips absently with one finger. "I'll be honest, I've worked with any number of accompanists and he's by far the best I've ever had the pleasure of collaborating with. He has this...sense about him."

Phichit nodded vigorously after taking what was probably his tenth selfie of the day. "He does, and it's because he feels the music. It's like he's creating it with his fingertips, not reading notes off a piece of paper." He flashed Victor a bright smile. "It was his dream to play for you!"

Blink. Victor was caught more than a little off guard by that one. "Beg pardon?"

"Oh, ever since our freshman year, that was what he wanted to do -- he wanted to play for you, but he never thought he was good enough." Phichit shrugged at that. "I told him over and over that all he had to do was ask you. He came home and just about had heart failure when _you_ asked _him._ "

"Probably accurate," Victor said thoughtfully. Then he smiled. Slowly. "Tell me, does he like to loosen up, go out sometimes?"

Phichit had to think about that one for a moment. "You know, I don't know? We've gone to a couple dances but that's about it, since he's so shy. I don't think he's been on a single date since we got to this school."

Victor shook his head sadly. "Now that we simply must fix." He ignored the appraising look Phichit was giving him...or at least he did until Phichit opened his mouth. "Why don't we all go out tonight? You and Yuuri and me and your roommate. We'll go down to that arcade place downtown and have some fun."

Victor blinked a couple of times. "Arcade place...wait, you mean the one with the laser tag?"

Phichit's grin blinded him. "That's the one! Yuuri and I go play laser tag sometimes when we're trying to unwind. Bet you anything he'll kick your ass."

If there was one thing Victor couldn't resist, it was a bet. "Fine, you're on. I'll call Chris and we'll meet you there."

Phichit clapped his hands together delightedly. "I'll tell Yuuri. This is going to be fun."

*****

Phichit was quite correct on both counts: one, it WAS fun, and two, Yuuri was handing Victor's ass to him on a platter.

"You do know the point of laser tag is to NOT get hit, right?" Victor heard Yuuri's voice from somewhere behind him before the sensor on his armor went off yet again and he started cursing.

"I thought you liked me," he said plaintively as he saw Yuuri appear from around a corner, perfectly safe until Victor was able to shoot again.

Yuuri smiled in a way that was equal parts charming and snarky as shit. "All's fair in love, war, and laser tag," he said innocently enough.

Victor was starting to think the innocent thing was an act. "Love, hm?"

That might have gotten Yuuri to blush, although it was hard to tell with the darkness in the laser tag arena. "Knock it off, Victor. And you better move or I'll shoot you again."

Victor cursed creatively in Russian before dodging out of the way. He very nearly ran into Chris, who had ducked into the same area to get away from Phichit. "I don't know where you found this duo, Victor, but this is hands down the best thing you've done since I've known you."

One silvery-blonde eyebrow arched. "What, getting us shot at by a couple of sophomores?"

"Yes," Chris answered perfectly forthrightly. "And you did NOT tell me your accompanist was adorable. More importantly, you didn't tell me your adorable accompanist had an adorable roommate."

"Wait." Victor felt something that felt unpleasantly like jealousy unfurl in his stomach. "You think Yuuri is...?"

"Adorable," Chris repeated with a smirk. "And he is. He is also so far gone over you that it's ridiculous. I am a good friend, and I am not going there. Even if he has a nice ass to go along with that cute face. His roommate, though..." He trailed off and Victor side-eyed him dubiously. Chris had a peculiar expression on his face.

"Don't even tell me you're--" 

"I'm giving him my number when we're done. That smile could move mountains." 

"And you say I'm ridiculous."

"Oh, you are," Chris answered easily enough. "Especially since you don't think I can see you panting in anticipation of your every practice session. Honestly, Victor, you are so transparent sometimes."

"I am not that bad," Victor scoffed.

"No, you're not, you're worse," was Chris' rejoinder. "And he's totally besotted with you. Go for it."

"I'm not going to risk screwing up our relationship, not when we've got a competition in two weeks." Victor got serious. "We have a very comfortable artist-accompanist relationship, and that's not something I want to jeopardize."

Chris shook his head. "Well, just remember that...and remember your senior year isn't going to be very long."

Victor did have to give him that one. His senior year was going to pass faster than he was expecting...and then he'd be leaving, and Yuuri would be staying here.

Unless...

"It'll be long enough for what I have in mind," Victor replied with a chuckle before the two of them had to make a break for it to avoid Phichit shooting them both.

*****

The diner later that night was comfortably empty; they could talk without shouting over other patrons, and it made a good place to get to know each other better. Phichit was currently waxing philosophical on the importance of Instagram and Snapchat to modern society and how fantastic that it was that memories could be captured in an instant. "He's like this when you get him on anything photo-related," Yuuri said in an undertone. He was sitting next to Victor on one side of the table, and Chris was sitting next to Phichit, making big eyes at him although Phichit was too into his subject to notice. "Don't ever ask him about digital cameras. You'll be here all night."

"It's charming in its own way," Victor pointed out as Phichit gestured and Chris had to dodge to avoid being smacked. 

"Something like that." Yuuri looked down at his piece of pie for a moment, then back up at Victor. "So...I have a question for you."

"Fire away," Victor said without thinking about it. At Yuuri's smirk he amended the comment. "I mean. Go ahead and ask."

"Well..." Yuuri fidgeted a bit. "I have a solo competition coming up next weekend and I was wondering if you wanted to come? I think I'll do better if you're watching me."

Victor's eyebrows both headed for his hairline. "Really? You want me to come listen?"

"Mmhmm. I usually get really nervous at competitions but I do better when people I know are there. Phichit always comes if he can, so...could you? Please?" Yuuri turned the full force of those big brown eyes on Victor, who was helpless to resist their power.

"Consider it done," he said without thinking twice.

Idly he made the observation to himself that Yuuri could ask him to jump off a cliff and he'd probably do it.

That observation was rapidly followed by another.

_I am in deep, deep shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title: "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant", by...Billy Joel. Seriously, guys, if I don't name an artist with a song, assume it's Billy Joel and act accordingly.


	3. But here you are in the ninth, two men out and three men on

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Competitions are a thing. So are Yuuri's pre-competition jitters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SWEET SPARKLY SPACE JESUS, YOU GUYS.
> 
> I. I just. THANK YOU for all the kudos and comments! You're all amazing. <3333333

Honestly, Victor shouldn't have been surprised given what he already knew, but he was still kind of taken aback by the sheer force of Yuuri's pre-competition nerves. He was standing in the hallway outside the recital hall foyer, watching Yuuri pace a groove in the tile. Yuuri's hands were clenched tightly behind his back, so tightly that Victor could see his knuckles whiten as he took exactly ten steps one direction before pivoting and taking ten steps the other direction.

Idly, Victor noted that Yuuri's turns had a precision that most people didn't possess.

"Come on, Yuuri, I'm sure you'll do fine," he said in an attempt to calm Yuuri down. "You've got this piece down, I've been listening to you practice for the last two months."

"But what if I forget it?" Yuuri kept on pacing like he didn't even hear Victor. "What if I mess up?"

"You aren't going to mess up," Victor said firmly, or at least he thought he was saying it firmly. "You're brilliant. You've got this."

Yuuri snorted at that one, although he didn't pause in his steps. "I'm not brilliant. I don't know who you've been listening to but that's not--"

Victor cut him off by stepping right in front of him, hands coming up to grip Yuuri's shoulders tightly. "Yuuri Katsuki. Look at me," he said in a take-no-shit tone of voice. Eventually Yuuri shifted to bring his eyes up to meet Victor's. They were so wide Victor could see the whites all the way around the chocolate brown of Yuuri's irises. "You are brilliant. You are the best pianist in this program. Believe that."

Yuuri looked at him silently for a long moment, shoulders still shaking with nerves. Eventually his hands unclasped and one came up to cover Victor's right hand, eyes still locked. "You'll watch me, right? Don't take your eyes off me."

Somehow Victor found it impossible to look away from those eyes. "I won't. I promise you that, Yuuri."

"Don't you ever take your eyes off me." Yuuri's nerves had turned into something else, a steely tone of voice that sent shivers down Victor's spine. "Not once." 

"I wouldn't dream of it." Victor's voice dropped to a whisper, the words fighting their way out around the stranglehold Yuuri's gaze had on him. They stood like that for a moment before the opening of the doors to the recital hall lobby broke the spell. "Now go on. I'll be in the front row." He let go of Yuuri and let him go into the recital hall, following a bit later and making his way to a spot in the front row. He made sure he had a clear view of Yuuri from his seat. 

A moment later Phichit joined him. "Wow, thanks for coming. I know it'll make him feel better."

"I already had to talk him down before he had to head backstage," Victor admitted, glancing at Yuuri's roommate. "But I think he'll be okay. He kind of...changed, right before he had to go in."

"Changed?" Phichit raised an eyebrow. "Changed how?"

"He went from scared shitless to absolutely fearless. And I don't know why." Victor shook his head against the shiver sliding up his spine. "I just know it happened."

He didn't miss Phichit's sly sideways glance. "Oh I think I know."

Victor arched an eyebrow, but he didn't get a chance to ask what that expression meant before the first student took the stage. He settled himself in to listen, expecting the usual student recital fare. He wasn't disappointed. Everyone sounded good, but nobody sounded special.

Then Yuuri took the stage.

Victor could tell instantly that Yuuri was nervous again. His hands were wringing together and he looked a little bit deer in the headlights. His eyes darted around the recital hall, eventually settling on Victor and Phichit in the front row. Victor gave him a thumbs up, and had the pleasure of seeing Yuuri relax instantly, the nerves replaced by that steely determination he'd seen earlier.

Yuuri took his seat on the piano bench, adjusting the height slightly. Victor noticed instantly that he didn't put any music up on the piano to read off of...but he also wasn't wearing his glasses. That had Victor very curious. No music and no real ability to read the music even if it was there. Was he seriously going to do the whole thing from memory? The moment Yuuri's fingers touched the keys Victor forgot his nerves entirely. 

Yuuri played with his whole soul, and it was obvious he felt the music to a level where reading it would have been irrelevant. He'd picked one of Victor's personal favorite pieces -- he'd always had a soft spot for the Grieg concerto -- but he played it like nobody Victor had ever heard before. Everything was from the heart, and the audience was spellbound. When he finished, the whole hall went quiet for a while before exploding into applause. Victor could see the flush of pleasure and pride over Yuuri's cheeks as he got up to take his bows, and all he could think was the same thing he'd thought in the diner.

_I am in deep, deep shit._

The two of them waited until the crowds cleared out to meet up with Yuuri in the foyer. "Yuuri, you were fantastic," Phichit gushed, grabbing his roommate in a hug that both startled and gratified Yuuri, if Victor was any judge. 

It took a second for Yuuri to return the hug but eventually he did, squeezing Phichit tight. Then he turned his attention to Victor, albeit a bit shyly. "Did you like --" 

Victor cut him off by enveloping Yuuri in a hug of his own, a big bonecrushing hug of doom. "You were brilliant, Yuuri! Just brilliant! I love that piece so much and you did it beautifully!" He could tell Yuuri was taken aback, but then, much to his surprise and gratification, Yuuri almost melted into his arms. He was warm and smelled good, sweet and soft, and Victor was suddenly highly aware of how that lithe body felt against him. He let him go a moment later and both he and Yuuri took steps backward in unison. 

Fortunately for his sanity Victor was not aware of Phichit's phone capturing the moment. 

"I'm glad you liked it," Yuuri said once he had his voice back, a shy smile spreading over his face. "Thank you so much for coming; I did so much better knowing you were there." 

Victor was now officially aware of everything, including Phichit grinning like a fiend next to him. "I'll come to everything you do so long as I'm capable of it," he promised. 

Somewhere deep inside, he made himself a promise that he'd be there for Yuuri no matter what he needed, every time he needed it. 

_Deep shit, indeed._

***** 

"You'll be fine. We'll be fine." 

Victor was currently standing in the hallway outside the recital hall again, this time holding both of Yuuri's hands tightly in his. Yuuri's fingers were fisted into balls in his grip, and he was holding to Victor's gaze like a lifeline. "You're brilliant. You're the best accompanist I've ever worked with. You'll be fine." 

"You don't mean that, do you?" Yuuri was looking at him skeptically. 

"I absolutely do mean that," Victor assured Yuuri firmly. "Now let's go in there and show them just what we're capable of." 

Yuuri looked at Victor for a long moment, then unballed his fists to lace his fingers with Victor's instead. He leaned in, resting his forehead against Victor's for a moment. "I won't take my eyes off you." 

Victor was uncomfortably aware of just how close Yuuri was to him, but he couldn't pull himself away. "That's what I want. Don't take your eyes off me. Let's go." He eventually dropped the pose and stood up, straightening his tie and nodding firmly before gesturing for Yuuri to precede him. 

When their turn came around they stepped out onto the recital hall stage together, Yuuri taking his place at the piano and Victor moving to center stage. Blue eyes swept the hall, spotting both Chris and Phichit -- who were sitting suspiciously close together -- in the first row. He glanced at Yuuri, who tipped his head to the side before starting the accompaniment. 

Victor loved this aria. He'd decided to tackle a lot of Russian repertoire this year; it was his native language, after all, so the diction came easily to him where it would be much more difficult for someone not familiar with the language. Not enough people did Russian opera, so it was another challenge to set him apart. The aria from _Boris Godunov_ was tricky, but Yuuri's piano work was swelling behind him, complementing everything he did with an ease he'd never found in any other accompanist. Together they created something new, something that had the audience rapt on them. When they finished the applause was thunderous and immediate. He glanced back at Yuuri, who was smiling at him in a way that twisted up his insides. 

"That was the best I've ever heard you," Chris told Victor in the hallway after the recital-goers had cleared out of the venue. "Why have you never done Russian in the past?" 

"The standard repertoire is heavy on French, German, and Italian -- had to master that first," Victor said with a shrug, although he did smile a bit slyly. "You enjoyed yourself too, didn't you?" 

"What can I say, I'm a fool," Chris said with an overly dramatic sigh. "A fool who's a sucker for big dark eyes and brilliant smiles. We're definitely going to do this more often." 

Victor opened his mouth to say something when Phichit cut in. "Come on, guys. Pie?" Pie at the diner had become their standard after-recital (or whatever) ritual. Victor would never say no to sour cream lemon pie. He fell into step with Yuuri behind the other two, and noticed that Yuuri was blushing a bit. "What?" 

"Nothing, I'm just happy for them," Yuuri answered in a soft undertone, nodding at the pair ahead of them. "It's cute." 

"Just wait until you walk in on them, then it won't be so cute," Victor replied with the heavy irony of someone who had done just that in the past. "Well, if that happens, my room's always open to you." 

Yuuri choked, turning an interesting shade of red. Clearly his mind had gone somewhere else. "Uh. Thank you. I'll, um, remember that." 

Idly Victor hoped that it happened at least once. 

_I'm in deeper than I thought._

In all his college career he'd never thought he'd find someone he wanted to date. Then this beautiful Japanese boy had wormed his way in through a beautiful piano rendition of one of his favorite songs, and now he found himself in way, way over his head. 

At this point, all he was hoping was that he didn't drown. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title lyrics -- "Pressure"
> 
> Yuuri's piece is Edvard Grieg's "Concerto in a minor, 1st movement". Victor's is from Mussorgsky's _Boris Godunov_ , "Weep, my eyes, with bitter tears flowing". Russian opera is HARD, man.


	4. I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Victor treats Yuuri to a dance while wearing a tailsuit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHRIST JESUS ON A POLKA DOT POGO STICK. 100+ KUDOS? I JUST POSTED THIS TWO DAYS AGO OH MY GOD I CANNOT BELIEVE OALKDJLFAKJSLFKJ
> 
> Er. Sorry. Just, you guys, you make me SO HAPPY and I have to let you all know that. SO many heart hands, so much love.

"I can't believe you've been at this school for two years and you've never been to one of these things."

Victor was standing in his dorm room straightening his tie after making sure all the pieces of his tailsuit were in their bag where they belonged. Yuuri was sitting on his bed, watching him primp with a sort of bemused expression on his face.

"I've been locked in the music wing, when would I have noticed any of the dance functions?" Yuuri noted, logically.

Victor just sniffed and ran a hand through his hair. He never gelled it back for competitions like a lot of other people did; he just didn't like the look at all. Mila never cared so long as he could see what he was doing. "This school has a massive ballroom dance program. You can take dance classes instead of P.E. And yet you've never once been to a ballroom dance function."

"I knew about the dance thing, I've been studying dance since I was three," Yuuri sniffed. "But that still doesn't change my point."

"You have?" Victor turned, arching an eyebrow elegantly. "What discipline?"

"Ballet," Yuuri answered easily. "I love it, but I didn't want to do it professionally. So I still dance recreationally."

"That's why your turns in the hall were so sharp!" Victor snapped his fingers in recognition. "That makes sense. Well, shall we? I can't keep Mila waiting, she'll try and string me up by my underwear."

Yuuri's expression was...odd. Tense, in a way. Wary. "Who's Mila?"

"Oh, Mila's my dance partner," Victor said airily. "She can also break people in half with one hand, and her girlfriend is almost as scary as she is. So you don't keep her waiting."  
Victor noticed that Yuuri instantly relaxed at the word 'girlfriend'. Interesting. 

"Well, as much as I want to see what it would look like to string someone up by their underwear, it probably wouldn't be comfortable, so let's go," Yuuri said with a chuckle, getting to his feet and going to collect Victor's bag for him. "I'll find a spot in the stands with Phichit and Chris."

"Just Phichit this time, Chris finally caved to my insistence that he take a class so he's doing a class Latin competition," Victor said gleefully. "I want to see him move his hips in a PG fashion, because I bet him he couldn't do it."

Yuuri's expression turned very odd. "Um. Do I want to know why...?"

"What, you didn't know what Chris' job is?" Victor grinned wickedly. "He's an exotic dancer. He strips his way through school and gets paid very well for it. But I bet him he couldn't tone it down for the younger audience."

"Well then." Yuuri was an interesting shade of red. "I guess we'll go see if he can do it or not." 

******

"Victor! You're late, I was about to go looking for you!"

Mila was resplendent in olive green, red hair pulled up in a bun atop her head, arms folded over her chest and one toe tapping impatiently as Victor and Yuuri arrived at the ballroom. "I had to make sure I had all of my tailsuit," Victor tried to explain, only to oof as Mila poked him in the stomach.

"You make that excuse every time. Is this your accompanist?" Mila turned her full attention on Yuuri, reaching out with one gloved hand to pinch his cheek and chortling as Yuuri turned red. "Victor, he's adorable. You better not be working your wiles on him though or I'll tell Sara's brother you were hitting on her."

Victor staggered at that one. "Oh god please don't send Mickey after me. I'd like to survive to graduation."

"Then be nice," Mila countered before offering Yuuri a hand. "Mila Babicheva. Victor and I have been dancing together since our freshman year. I'm impressed you put up with him."

Yuuri blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. Victor was sort of gratified by the little smile he wore, though. "Oh, it's no trial. I enjoy working with him."

"I hope you continue to feel that way after you've had to deal with his whining," Mila said cheerfully. "Now go get changed already." She flounced off to where a lovely young lady with dark hair was waiting for her.

"And that was Mila," Victor sighed, taking his bag from Yuuri. "We're dancing in several events. You'll watch, right?" He searched Yuuri's brown gaze, looking for...something. He knew what he was looking for but he didn't know if Yuuri did.

Yuuri reached out to cover one of Victor's hands with his own. "I'll never take my eyes off you."

The words made Victor's heart jump a couple of beats. "I'll make sure you have something good to watch, then," he murmured, turning his hand to squeeze Yuuri's lightly before sending him off to the bleachers to go sit with Phichit. 

For the most part, Victor wasn't focused on any one person during their turns around the dance floor, but a quick glance around the bleachers showed that Phichit and Yuuri were sitting right at one of the corners of the dance floor. That was perfect. During the waltz he made sure to pause for a dip right at that corner of the floor, sweeping Mila into an elegant line before winking at Yuuri who blushed but smiled back. Phichit wolf-whistled to join in with the rest of the cheering and catcalling going on. From there on out Victor made a point of stopping in that corner, just so he could smile at Yuuri.

"You are fucking pathetic," was what he got from backstage when he and Mila left the floor after their heat.

"Why, Yura, I didn't know you cared," Victor drawled when he faced the blond who was scowling at him.

Yuri Plisetsky was a dance major, although his focus was ballet; all the dance majors had to take some classes in every discipline, though, so this semester Yuri was taking basic ballroom. Victor found this hilarious. Yuri was this beautiful fae-like creature, slim and lovely...and lacking entirely in the 'leading' department. He'd been told that Yuri got too impatient with beginning dancers and couldn't lead for shit. 

"I don't care. I'm just telling you you're fucking pathetic," Yuri said with a scowl. "I mean, seriously. Hitting your poses in the same corner every time just so you can drool over some chubby Japanese kid."

"Chubby?" Victor turned and eyed Yuuri. He didn't see much chub going on there. A little softness, maybe, but not much chub. 

"Yeah, chubby," Yuri said, although anything else he was about to say was forestalled by another voice.

"He's jealous because Yuuri's been studying longer than he has," the newcomer commented as Otabek Altin slid into Victor's line of sight, neatly placing himself out of range of Yuri kicking him for that comment. "He's been needling at him in classes ever since the beginning of the year."

"Really." Victor eyed Yuri dubiously. "Jealousy is unbecoming, Yura."

"I'm not jealous," Yuri spat. "Why would I be jealous of him? And I'm going to hurt you if you say anything, Otabek."

Otabek just held his hands up. He didn't do innocent looks all that well but he did studiously blank very well indeed. "Just saying. I came to get you, your partner is looking for you. She wants to practice before your first heat."

"Fine, fine. I'm going. Just stop being pathetic, Nikiforov, it's ridiculous." Yuri pivoted on his heel and stomped off, although Otabek's hand sliding around to rest on his waist apparently pacified him somewhat. Victor hid a smile as the pair vanished around the corner and out of sight.

One of Victor's favorite parts of the entire competition was the free dance. Periodically, in between heats, they would just put on music and people would come out of the stands to dance. The sound system guy put a waltz on just as Victor was walking out of the backstage area; he immediately looked up and smiled, holding a hand out to Yuuri who looked very surprised for a moment before smiling and coming down out of the stands to join him.

"Thank you for giving me this dance," Victor said with a sweeping bow before taking Yuuri's hand and pulling him in close. 

"You're ridiculous," Yuuri said with a laugh, although his cheeks were tinted that charming shade of pink that Victor loved so much. 

"That's the second time I've been accused of that in the past ten minutes," Victor laughed, his free hand settling on Yuuri's waist as he spun the other young man expertly into the dance. 

Victor had read plenty of stories about how the world seemed to melt away during dances between lovers; it was a trope that appeared a lot, especially in the truly mushy stories. He'd never really thought it possible, especially on a crowded dance floor. 

He was proven wrong.

The world really did seem to vanish, leaving nothing but him, Yuuri, and the music weaving around them. He glanced down to find Yuuri looking up at him, and the moment their eyes met everything else ceased to exist. He wasn't even paying attention to anything else anymore, letting the crowd dictate their footsteps until they found themselves in the middle of the dance floor. 

Yuuri was looking up at him with those big brown eyes Victor adored so much, lips parted slightly, a blush dusting his cheeks. Unable to resist, Victor started to lean down, eyes beginning to slide closed--

\--only for a wolf-whistle right in his ear to startle them both into standing straight up. "Chris, I am going to kill you in ways you can only imagine," Victor said, glowering at his roommate who was nearby with Phichit in his arms. 

"What? We were adding to the mood," Chris said innocently, although innocent was by no means his strong suit. Before Victor could say anything else Chris had pulled Phichit back into the crowd of swirling dancers. 

Victor just sighed, looking down at Yuuri as the song ended. Yuuri was looking up at him, a dreamy sort of expression in his eyes as Victor shifted to settle Yuuri's hand on his arm so he could escort the other young man off the floor properly. "Thank you for the dance," he said, watching as Yuuri's smile lit the entire corner of the room.

"No, thank you," Yuuri answered as Victor led him back up to the stands. "That was...amazing."

"You'll save another dance for me later, won't you?" Victor asked, keeping one of Yuuri's hands in his and looking up at him briefly before leaning down to press a kiss to Yuuri's knuckles, all without taking his eyes off that flushed face.

"I'll save them all for you," Yuuri promised breathlessly. They stood frozen in that position until Mila's shout got Victor's attention and he had to pull away to go rejoin his partner for the next heat. 

"Victor's got it bad," she teased him the moment he was within earshot.

"I do not," Victor protested halfheartedly, because he knew she was right. He _did_ have it bad.

"It's okay, it's adorable," Mila assured him. "And he loves you just as much."

That brought Victor up short. _Love?_

He'd spent ten years completely ignoring life and love for the sake of his art. Love seemed like such a strong word...

...but as he looked at Yuuri sitting in the stands, talking animatedly with Phichit and Chris, it suddenly seemed to be the only word that fit.

 _Oh, shit._

He was, indeed, very much in love with his accompanist.

Now he just hoped that Yuuri loved him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title -- "Only The Good Die Young"
> 
> I did competitive dancesport when I was in college. Victor is a Standard dancer -- that's the five "ballroom" dances of waltz, foxtrot, Viennese waltz, tango, and quickstep. So he's the guy in the tails dancing with the girl in the fluffy dress. Sometimes I wonder what it'd look like if Victor did Latin; he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who can work his hips that way, although you never know. 
> 
> Incidentally, there IS actually a college out there with a massive ballroom dance program. More than one, really, but there's one in particular I was thinking of when I wrote this. As it's my alma mater, I can imagine I'm probably forgiven for 'borrowing' a bit from my college memories.


	5. We never could have come this far

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things come to a head.

As the months went on, Victor's favorite place to be became the practice room at the end of the hall, the one where he'd met Yuuri in the first place. By unspoken agreement it had become 'their' practice room, the one they retreated to when they needed some quiet time to work through things. More often than not, their intensive practice sessions led to hours' worth of just talking about anything and everything, especially over Christmas break because both of them had stayed at the school. Victor was learning so much about Yuuri, from the heartbreak of losing his dog right before he'd started his freshman year to the high expectations his family had for him.

"They're just proud of you," he finally said after Yuuri told him about the nerves he got from not wanting to let his family down. "They'll always be proud of you."

"I just...can't help but think they're disappointed that I didn't make it into the school I wanted," Yuuri said, looking down at his hands. Victor could see his hands shaking just a bit. He reached out to cover those shaking hands with one of his own, trying to be as soothing as he could be.

"There's no way they're disappointed in you," Victor said gently, smoothing his fingertips over Yuuri's hands. "No way. You're doing amazingly well, and just because Juilliard was stupid enough to pass you over the first time...well, that's their loss. We'll show them how wrong they were."

"I never asked before, but...just how do you propose to do that?" Yuuri looked at him with an odd mix of emotions in his eyes; skepticism, hope, and...something else, something Victor wanted to explore and reveal. 

"I've already been promised an audition with the New York Metropolitan Opera in April," Victor explained, hand still covering Yuuri's. "You'll be there with me, and I'll eat my nonexistent hat if you don't catch someone's attention."

"I'll...I'll what?" Yuuri looked astonished. "I'll be there with you?"

"Of course you will be. I won't sing with any other accompanist," Victor said firmly. "You're my partner in this endeavor. Of course I'd bring you with me."

There was a beat of silence, then Yuuri physically flung himself at Victor in a way he never had before. Usually it was Victor initiating any physical contact, and the difference surprised him enough that he almost forgot to catch Yuuri and only just barely kept them both on the piano bench. He slid his arms around Yuuri, holding him close as Yuuri sobbed into his shoulder.

"Thank you," Yuuri finally murmured, words strangled by emotion. "Thank you...I didn't think I'd ever have this chance, I never thought someone like me could meet someone like you..."

"And why not?" Victor rubbed Yuuri's back, just keeping him close while the emotional storm calmed itself and worked its way out of Yuuri's system. "You have an amazing talent. People deserve to see that talent, and you deserve to have it seen."

Eventually Yuuri calmed down, his face still pressed into Victor's shoulder. When he finally looked up he took a moment to pull his glasses off, putting them on the piano and blinking. "But why?" he asked, his voice a bare whisper. "Why do you believe so much in me?"

"Because you're amazing," Victor breathed, shifting so he could wipe the tears away with fingertips that he noticed were shaking a bit too much. "Because you have so much talent, and I want the world to see it."

Yuuri, who was far, far more perceptive than Victor frequently remembered, frowned very faintly. "There's something you're not telling me," he finally said. "I don't know what it is, but there's something you're hiding from me. Tell me?"

Well hell. Put on the spot. Victor hesitated for a moment before his brain said _fuck it_ and his desires took over. "It's easier to show you," he almost whispered before leaning in, lips finally brushing Yuuri's for the first time.

He could sense startlement, and mentally he wanted to shake Yuuri for not seeing it since he'd thought he was pretty obvious sometimes. Before he could pull back and apologize, though, he felt Yuuri's arms winding around his neck and suddenly his kiss was being returned with a fervor he'd never expected to feel. He promptly threw all caution to the wind and responded in kind, arms tightening, holding Yuuri as close as he could manage.

Eventually they did have to come up for air, and Yuuri gasped in a breath, eyes opening wide. He could see so much in their depths; surprise, shock, and an intense devotion that had him catching his own breath because it mirrored what he felt. "I thought...I thought there was no way you could possibly feel like this," Yuuri said softly, fingers moving to play with the strands of silver-blond hair at the nape of Victor's neck.

Victor had to roll his eyes at that. "I thought I was being fairly obvious," he said with a chuckle.

"I thought you were just being...well, you," Yuuri admitted. "That you weren't serious. I thought you might be, after the dance, but...well."

"That will teach you to doubt me, darling," Victor responded with another soft chuckle, freeing up one hand to tap the tip of Yuuri's nose with one finger. "Don't ever doubt me again."

"I won't," Yuuri promised breathlessly before leaning in to claim Victor's lips again, this time with an intensity that set the butterflies in Victor's stomach into a frenzy.

Yes. This was his favorite place, and always would be now.

*****

"Coming, coming, I'm coming," Victor grumbled as he got to his feet at an insistent knock on the door. Chris wasn't home so he'd been taking advantage of the quiet to plow through his music analysis homework -- god, 20th century orchestral works were going to kill him, Schoenberg was _evil_ \-- until the knock at the door had shattered his little bubble of homework-induced fugue. He went to pull the door open and was thoroughly surprised to see an exasperated Yuuri standing there with his backpack in hand.

"Do you mind if I crash here for a while?" Yuuri asked, sounding very much like he wanted to strangle the world.

Victor instantly had an idea as to exactly why Yuuri wanted to crash with him. "Oh god, you didn't--"

"Oh god, I did," Yuuri said in affirmation, sliding past Victor into the dorm room. "I love Phichit. He's like the brother I never had. But there are some things you never, ever want to learn about your roommate, and I just learned several."

"Knowing Chris, I'm pretty sure I can predict some of them," Victor sighed, shutting the door behind Yuuri. "I apologize for my roommate being...um...passionate."

"Passionate? Not the word I'd choose," Yuuri answered, his tone dry enough to peel the paint off the walls. "I think the words 'kinky as hell' are probably closer. God."

"Well, yes, that probably is closer," Victor acknowledged with a chuckle. He could sympathize with Yuuri's pain, given the number of times he'd inadvertently walked in on Chris over the years. "As I said before, though, the room is always open to you." That had taken on something of a new flavor, but he chose to ignore that for now.

"I appreciate it." Yuuri sat down on the bed, then flopped over with a gusty sigh. "We only have a month and a half left before your audition in New York. I'm already stressing out over it."

"There's nothing to stress about." Victor abandoned his books and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking down at Yuuri. "We have this repertoire in the bag. We've got everything memorized to within an inch of its life. Nobody can interpret these songs the way you can. It'll be amazing."

Yuuri rolled onto his side, looking up at Victor with a slight frown. "You're just saying that."

"No, _solnyshko_ , I'm saying it because it's true," Victor corrected with a smile.

Yuuri's brow wrinkled. "What did you just call me?"

 _"Solnyshko._ Little sun. Term of endearment, darling." Victor chuckled and leaned down to kiss Yuuri's forehead. "I like pet names. Unless you don't like it?"

"Oh, no, I like it, I like it a lot, I just didn't know what it meant," Yuuri said hastily, which prompted a grin from Victor.

"Well, now you know," Victor said impishly before standing up again and going over to the closet. "I suppose it's as good a time as any to get pajamas on," he said before pulling his shirt off and undoing his pants.

A squeak from the bed had him turning to see Yuuri turning a phenomenal shade of red. "Oh my god, Victor!"

"What?" Victor blinked, then grinned evilly as he shucked his pants and pulled on pajama pants. "So shy, Yuuri. So bashful." He turned and advanced on the other young man, who just squeaked and tried to scoot back.

"You're not supposed to get naked in front of me!" Yuuri spluttered although Victor had noticed him peeking through the hands he'd used to cover his eyes. 

"Yuuri. Dearest. Darling. It's fine. It's all yours anyway," Victor pointed out which turned Yuuri a truly spectacular shade of red.

"What is that even supposed to mean?!" Yuuri flailed, then froze as Victor returned to sit on the edge of the bed. One hand slid out to run through Yuuri's messy hair, a smile firmly on Victor's lips.

"It means I don't want anyone but you," was the quiet answer.

Yuuri stilled completely, looking at Victor in silence for a long moment. The quiet stretched on and on until Yuuri finally broke it. "You mean that?" His voice was soft, unsure but hopeful all at the same time.

"I absolutely mean that," Victor said, serious for once in his life. "There's nobody but you for me, _solnyshko_. To quote a cheesy movie line, you had me at hello."

"Oh god." Yuuri rolled his eyes but a smile spread across his face. "Way to kill the moment." 

"What would you have rather I said?" Victor asked, leaning in close and grinning. 

Yuuri smiled, then slid his fingers up into Victor's hair, pulling him in close. "Oh, maybe I love you would have worked," he murmured, and Victor's world promptly screeched to a halt.

_Oh god._

"You...do you really?" Victor was having some issues making his words work properly when confronted with that sentiment and those big, beautiful, earnest brown eyes. What were words, again?

"Is it embarrassing for me to admit that I've been in love with you ever since I clapped eyes on you?" Yuuri was red again, but this time Victor was blushing just as hard.

"No, because I'm pretty sure I have the same problem," Victor admitted with a smile that rapidly turned into a very undignified giggle. He couldn't help himself; he was absolutely giddy. "I do love you," he added, claiming one of Yuuri's hands to bring it to his lips. "More than I can say."

"That's good, because I love you too," Yuuri responded, wrapping his arms around Victor and dragging him down to the bed with a squawk of surprise that became laughter in very short order. 

If this was a dream, Victor was hoping he died in the middle of it and never woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title -- "Just The Way You Are" (the Billy Joel one, not the Bruno Mars one)
> 
> Bring on the fluff!


	6. Well I never had a place that I could call my very own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which auditions happen.

Victor could tell Yuuri was more than a little overwhelmed at the moment.

They were standing outside the Beacon Theater, watching the crowds stream in. Their school's male a cappella group was competing in the ICCA finals, so since they were already in New York for Victor's audition they figured they might as well come cheer the Blue Notes on. Victor knew one of the lead singers from the vocal department, and he had convinced Yuuri to come out on a date with him. The fact that said date was in New York City was clearly getting to Yuuri's nerves.

"This place is just so big," Yuuri murmured, looking around with enormous eyes. "I never really got to too many big cities when I was living back home. There's just so much going on here."

"Get used to it, _solnyshko_ ," Victor teased lightly as they walked into the theater and went to take their seats. 

The concert was spectacular, which was expected, and their group won, which Victor had anticipated the whole time. A cappella was a whole new world for Yuuri, that much was obvious, and he soaked it all up like a sponge, fascination written all over his face. They made a point of congratulating the group afterward -- Victor noted with a great deal of amusement that the lead singer he was familiar with had another guy plastered to his side like he'd been glued there -- before heading out to get something to eat.

"Everything comes to a head tomorrow," Yuuri said quietly as they lingered over the remnants of a late dinner. "I hope we're ready."

"We're ready," Victor answered just as quietly, one hand wandering out to clasp Yuuri's as comfortingly as he could manage. "We've been building up to this all year. We're ready."

"What if--"

"No 'what ifs', darling. None. This is a foregone conclusion. We're going to go in there and blow them away." Victor's voice was firm and confident as he poured every bit of strength he could into his words, trying to will it all into Yuuri.

"What do we do if nobody notices me?" Yuuri looked up at Victor, a heartrending expression in his eyes. "What do we do if you win a spot and...nobody pays any attention to me?"

It hit Victor hard then, just what Yuuri's worries were. He was worried that Victor would go to New York permanently and Yuuri wouldn't be able to follow. His heart clenched painfully in his chest. Coming here without Yuuri seemed like an impossibility where a mere six months ago he never would have even considered another's feelings in uprooting everything and moving. "Darling, you will catch their attention. You're brilliant."

"I like how you have more faith in me than I do," Yuuri said with a weak smile, shifting to tangle his fingers with Victor's. "We'll manage." 

"Don't we always?" Victor squeezed Yuuri's hand, ignoring the fact that they were getting some sidelong looks from other patrons. New York was much, much more liberal than smaller towns could be but that didn't change the fact that people could be stupid.

"Yeah, we do," Yuuri acknowledged. "Are you ready to go? I'm tired and tomorrow's a big day."

"More than ready. Let's get some rest." Victor put down enough money to pay for the meal before standing, escorting Yuuri out of the diner hand in hand. 

Their hotel was far too expensive, at least to Victor's mind. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, it was that it was right next to where they needed to be for the audition and everything was overpriced anyway. He'd just booked it without really paying much attention, and when they got there they realized he'd booked a single queen instead of a double. Oops. 

"You know what to do tomorrow," Victor said as he came out of the bathroom drying his hair with a towel post-shower. Yuuri was already in his pajamas and sitting shyly on the edge of the bed. They'd occasionally shared a bed in the past, but not with total privacy since there was no such thing as a private dorm room. 

"Mmhmm. Don't take my eyes off you." Yuuri looked over as Victor sat down on the side of the bed next to him. "I won't take my eyes off you once."

"It'll take everything in me to not do the same," Victor admitted with a little bit of a chuckle before leaning over to press his lips against Yuuri's lightly. "Lay down. Let's get some sleep." 

Yuuri hesitated, then climbed into the bed and left plenty of room for Victor. "I'm a little nervous," he admitted. "No chance of Chris or Phichit walking in on us..."

Victor chortled at that, sliding into the bed and gathering Yuuri close to him. "And no chance of walking in on them," he pointed out, kissing Yuuri's temple, then his lips before turning out the bedside light.

Things were silent long enough that Victor thought Yuuri had fallen asleep. Eventually, though, he heard a soft voice next to him. "...I wish we could do this forever."

Victor's heart started hammering in his chest so hard he was sure it was audible. "If I have any say in the matter, _solnyshko_ , we will," he murmured quietly.

*****

"You look amazing," Yuuri said from where he was standing next to Victor in the bathroom of the venue the audition was taking place in. Victor was adjusting the lapels of his crisp grey three-piece suit and making sure his tie was properly tied in the fancy knot he preferred. Yuuri was wearing a suit as well, although his was black on black and in Victor's opinion he looked almost poetic. 

"No, you do," Victor countered, finally satisfied with his appearance. He walked over to press a kiss to Yuuri's lips, keeping it light; he could feel Yuuri wanting to deepen the gesture but they couldn't go to the audition mussed. Instead he settled for brushing his lips lightly over Yuuri's cheek. "You're beautiful. You're amazing. I love you. Let's do this."

Yuuri's cheeks tinted pink at the compliments and the endearment. "I love you too. Let's show them what we're made of."

Walking out onto the stage was both one of the proudest and most daunting moments in Victor's life. He'd performed in front of a lot of different audiences and for some truly imposing judges, but knowing his future career was hinging on this audition gave it a whole new gravity. He took his position at center stage, movement at the corner of his vision indicating that Yuuri had taken his place at the grand piano. He glanced over at his accompanist, was given a slight smile, and the two of them began the audition of a lifetime.

Victor had been carefully curating his arias for this audition for the entire year. The _Boris Godunov_ aria, an elegant French art song, and an Italian aria that he knew he had serious balls to attempt. _Nessun dorma_ was possibly the most famous aria in the history of opera; even people who didn't know beans about opera recognized it the second they heard it. He knew he was taking a huge risk by doing something that well known, but it was also his favorite piece and he knew it inside and out. He took one deep breath and began to sing in his native Russian.

He was a good judge of how well he was doing in an audition, and he knew within a few notes that he was surpassing his previous best. He knew why, too; Yuuri's piano was swelling and flowing behind and around his vocals, the two marrying into a single experience that was sweeping him away. He let himself be lost in the music, reaching deeper into himself than ever before, and turning in a performance that he could legitimately be very proud of. 

Once he was done with all three of his pieces the judging panel began to confer amongst themselves, dismissing them to go sit and wait to hear what the results were. "You were amazing," Victor murmured, one hand reaching out to wrap around Yuuri's. "Thank you."

"No, you were," Yuuri countered. "I got lost in you. That was the most amazing experience I've ever had on a piano." He let his fingers twine with Victor's, squeezing lightly. He was about to say something else when someone came up to him. 

"Excuse me, may I have a word with you?" The woman was very polite and it was obvious she was talking directly to Yuuri. Victor nodded, letting go of Yuuri's hand so he could go talk to the woman.

Eventually the Met director approached Victor, and he got the news he had been hoping for: the Met was offering him a contract directly after graduation. He was thrilled, but also nervous. He wanted the job, he'd been working toward this for a decade, but everything hinged on Yuuri.

He waited...and waited...and waited...and by the time Yuuri came back, looking dazed, Victor was set to pace the pile right off the carpet. "What was that all about?" he asked urgently as soon as Yuuri was within earshot.

Yuuri didn't respond immediately; it was like he needed to shake himself out of a fog. When he did, though, he threw his arms around Victor so abruptly that he staggered back and had to catch himself so they didn't both tumble to the ground. "Victor...Victor, you were right! She was from Juilliard and they want me to audition for a scholarship to their piano program!"

Victor beamed, sweeping Yuuri right off his feet and swinging him around in a big circle, beaming. "I told you! I told you they'd see you! I told you so!" He was overjoyed, just thrilled. Yuuri was almost crying, he was so happy. "And you know what else this means, right?"

"What's that?" Yuuri pulled away enough to look up at Victor, blinking tears away from his eyes. 

"It means we can move in together out here," Victor said, and had the pleasure of seeing Yuuri's whole face light up.

"Oh god, we can, can't we," Yuuri breathed, sounding disbelieving and elated all at the same time. "We can. We can move in together. We can stay together."

"We will always be together," Victor assured Yuuri, leaning down to kiss him lovingly. 

"Always," Yuuri echoed against Victor's lips. Then he paused and started laughing. "But I demand that Phichit and Chris visit frequently, even if we have to tell them not to fuck on the sofa."

That got a laugh out of Victor. "Or in the shower...or on the kitchen counter...or..."

"Okay that is QUITE enough, thank you," Yuuri cut him off, getting seriously flustered.

Victor chuckled and wrapped an arm around Yuuri's waist, the two of them heading out of the concert hall and onto the streets of New York. "See, this city is ours now, love," he said proudly. "And we can tackle this together."

"So long as we're together, I'll be happy," Yuuri said, looking up at him with shining eyes.

"I agree, _solnyshko_ ," Victor said contentedly as they walked back to their hotel. "I agree."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title -- "You're My Home"
> 
> I'm not even kidding about how well-known _Nessun dorma_ is. Tackling that in an audition is like someone on The Voice singing Adele -- you better damn well be able to _deliver_ or you might as well pack your bags and go home. 
> 
> I may or may not have tied this fic to my Homestuck fic in this chapter. I need to go tweak the other one (AND FINISH IT JESUS CHRIST) to reflect that -- I did some research and while I think I said the ICCA finals were in Carnegie Hall in the other fic, the 2017 Finals are in the Beacon Theater. I thought it would be a fun date night. 
> 
> Next chapter will probably be the last one. :3 Thanks so much, everyone who's been along for the ride!
> 
> (Also I apologize for putting them in their own hotel room and not writing smut. I suck at writing smut. Please feel free to mentally fill in smut if you so desire.)


	7. Baptized by the fire, I wade into the river that is running to the promised land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New York, eight months later and beyond...

"I would say you're stressing me out, but I think I'm more stressed than you," Yuuri said as he regarded Victor with a look of amusement. Victor was busy throwing things around the bed, rooting through the laundry with a look of desperation on his face.

"Where in the name of god did I even put that shirt?! I need that shirt!" He was frantic. He had a big day coming up and he couldn't find the shirt he had planned on wearing!

"Victor. You're just going to be changing into costume anyway, who cares what shirt you're wearing?" Yuuri was, as usual, the voice of reason.

"Yuuri. I will be making my official debut in a role tonight, and people will want to talk to me after the production. How can I discuss anything with anyone if I'm wearing the wrong shirt?" Victor had never been able to get through to Yuuri the importance of sartorial perfection. Usually, when he wasn't at a recital or somewhere else he needed to dress up, Yuuri lived in track pants and baseball shirts. He managed to make it look amazing -- well, at least in Victor's not at all unbiased opinion -- but still, track pants and baseball shirts. Victor, on the other hand, couldn't go anywhere without being perfectly dressed for the occasion. Yuuri gave him shit about it constantly.

"Victor, you look amazing no matter what you wear," Yuuri assured him with the air of someone who says things along those lines repeatedly ad nauseam.

"Thank you, beloved. But that doesn't change the fact that I can't find my shirt." Victor threw things all around the bed until he finally found the shirt he wanted; since it was wrinkled he plugged in the steamer to start heating up. (Yuuri had not understood the importance of steamers, either -- but he warmed up to it when he realized it was easier than ironing.)

Yuuri just shook his head and walked over to slide his arms around Victor's waist, nosing at his collarbone. "How can you be so vain and so nervous all in the same moment?"

"It's part of my charm," Victor replied, relaxing as he draped his arms around Yuuri, holding him close. 

Victor had graduated a month after his audition; that intervening month had given Yuuri time to do all his paperwork to transfer to Juilliard for his junior year. They had moved to New York City the following month, and had found a small studio apartment not too far from the school; the rent was exorbitant, like everything else in New York, but between Victor's assets and his salary from the Met it wasn't too bad. Life in the big city was nothing like life in a sleepy college town; it was fast paced and hectic and Victor loved every second of it. Yuuri had felt very out of place at first but now, some eight months later, he had settled in and was enjoying it as much as Victor was.

"What time are Chris and Phichit getting here, anyway?" Yuuri asked, after a long moment spent just savoring each other's company.

"Should be any time now," Victor said after checking the clock. Sure enough, a moment later there was a vigorous thumping at the door and Victor detached himself from Yuuri to go answer the door. 

"Yuuri!" Phichit promptly bowled Victor over to get to Yuuri, hugging him tight. "You look amazing! New York is treating you well, huh?"

Yuuri grinned and hugged Phichit back. "I'd say so, I think. I apologize for the mess in here, Victor couldn't find his shirt."

"Now that surprises me not at all," Chris drawled from the doorway where he was standing with their bags. He came into the apartment and Victor shut the door behind him, taking the bags and putting them by the futon that served as a sofa. "Victor has a tendency to explode the closet when he's looking for something."

"Oh like you can talk," Victor sniffed. He would have said more but Yuuri's exclamation of surprise interrupted him.

"Phichit! Is this the surprise you couldn't tell me over the phone?!" Victor was a little confused until he noticed that Yuuri was staring hard at one of Phichit's hands.

Phichit was grinning from ear to ear. "Yep! I wanted to show you in person!" He held his hand out so Victor could finally see the ring glinting on one finger. He stared for a moment, then stared at Chris, who just grinned. 

"You devil, you! Congratulations!" Victor thumped his erstwhile roommate on the back before hugging him tightly. "I can't believe you beat us to it!"

"Not my fault you're slow," Chris countered, hugging Victor back. "But you do realize this means I need you to be my best man and plan the bachelor party, right?"

"Oh I get to plan it?" Victor looked wickedly amused before he realized that Yuuri was looking at him funny. "What is it, _solnyshko?_ "

"'Beat us to it'?" Yuuri's expression was somewhere between shocked, confused, and elated, if Victor was any kind of judge.

Victor smiled and let go of Chris so he could claim his boyfriend for a hug and a kiss. "You doubt me?"

Yuuri beamed and threw his arms around Victor, successfully knocking him over this time and sending them both tumbling onto the futon in a heap. "You better ask me properly."

"I have every intention of it," Victor assured him...before looking up just as he heard the telltale shutter sound of a phone camera going off.

"This is going to be amazing," Phichit muttered as he started applying filters and hashtagging, ignoring the fact that Yuuri was glaring at him fit to burn a hole in his head.

"You should see the ones he posted of the vacation we took," Chris said with a smirk before fishing out his phone and handing it over. In Victor's estimation the expression on Yuuri's face made the whole thing worthwhile.

"Phichit, I love you but there are some things I don't need to know," Yuuri said firmly. Phichit just cackled and kept poking at buttons on his phone as he uploaded the photo. 

"As much as I love to look at photos of Chris in his insanely tiny bathing suit, I need to change so we can get going," Victor finally interjected, letting go of Yuuri and standing up so he could steam his shirt and change. 

"I didn't realize you had a studio," Chris said, looking around the apartment. "Does this mean we can get a foursome?"

"CHRIS!" Yuuri yelped, dropping the shirt he'd been about to change into. Victor had to stop changing and sit down, he was laughing so hard. Yuuri smacked him in the shoulder in revenge. 

"A nice thought but Yuuri is all mine," Victor replied as he rubbed his shoulder. "Now everyone change for a night on the town, we have to leave soon."

*****

_Victor Nikiforov Makes Dramatic Debut for Metropolitan Opera_

_The New York Metropolitan Opera's production of La Traviata premiered to great critical and audience acclaim, in no small part due to the smashing debut of the newest tenor to join the Met, Victor Nikiforov, in the role of Alfredo._

_Nikiforov's performance brought a poignant humanity to Alfredo, brilliantly portraying the young lover doomed to lose his beloved. Nikiforov's brilliant tenor voice was at its peak, his characteristic brightness carrying to every niche of the opera house. The audience was moved to tears on more than one occasion due to his sensitive performance and perfectly polished vocal production._

_When asked afterward what his inspiration for such a performance was, Nikiforov stated, "I imagined the pain of a lover facing the loss of his reason for living. I can't imagine the agony of losing my partner, so I put that into my performance. I'm glad people have been responding to it and enjoying my interpretation."_

_"My partner is everything to me," Nikiforov added, "and I can't imagine losing him any more than I can imagine living without music. It makes for excellent inspiration."_

_The Metropolitan Opera's production of La Traviata will be running until..._

*****

_Weddings_

_Nikiforov/Katsuki_

_Metropolitan Opera tenor Victor Nikiforov married concert pianist Yuuri Katsuki in a small ceremony attended by their closest friends and family. Nikiforov has been constructing a stellar career with the Met over the past two years, and Katsuki has become a very in-demand concert pianist after his recent graduation from Juilliard..._

*****

v-nikiforov

[image]

Selfie with the grooms and best men! #lovewins #hearthands @yuurikatsuki @phichit+chu @christophe-gc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title -- "The River Of Dreams", also known as MY FAVORITE SONG EVER which is why I saved it for the very last chapter
> 
> And that is a WRAP, ladies and gentlebeans! Thank you SO MUCH for joining me on this wild little trip of rapidly updated fanfic. I will probably write more oneshots in this universe, but for now this is the conclusion of this particular story. SO MUCH LOVE to everyone who commented and left kudos; you people are water to a thirsty soul, and I love each and every one of you. Heart hands!!


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